First post, new cup user, and my brief browsing of tags related to allergies did not bring up what is happening to me, so I hope this post doesn't aggravate anyone... I will try to be detailed, in case timing is a factor, so bear with me...

Basic info: 32, 2 kids, no BC. So, I started using the Lena cup last month, it arrived 2 days into my period, and I had done some extensive research on it before hand, so when it came I was able to insert comfortably, had no trouble with removal, and had absolutely zero leakage the couple of days I was able to use it. I was very pleased and so stoked to be done with tampons and pads for good.

In anticipation of my cycle, I was wearing my cup all day Thursday and half a day Friday before I switched to a pad because I was now late for 2 days and I was wondering if I might be pregnant (we are actively trying, but haven't been able to conceive). Finally, my cycle started on Saturday. Inserted my cup, wore it all day, things are going pretty smoothly. Sunday morning, I dump and reinsert like normal, but after about an hour or so I discover I'm leaking, so I figure I must have insert it wrong and not had a complete suction. When I go to remove it, my entire vaginal area is completely swollen! My clitoris and inner labia are so swollen, I didn't even realize at first that the thing I was touching WAS my clitoris and my inner labia feel like they're just falling out of me entirely! It was like prodding my fingers into a huge hunk of raw meat! I could barely find the end of my cup, and when I finally bore down and removed it, I was too scared to reinsert. So I'm currently sitting in a pad.

Guys, is it normal for your parts to swell like that?? I mean, before this cup, I never touched myself down there during my cycle, so I don't know if this is normal or not. My only known allergies are to nickel. I had no swelling last month, but I also started using later in my cycle, so maybe I skipped the swelling stage? I've also never in my life had a yeast infection or UTI so I wouldn't know what those looked or felt like if I had one. I'm very freaked out about what's happening down there and it's got me leaning towards never using my cup again (even though I loved it last month). It really scared me because it really did feel like my vagina was just erupting out of my body. Just looking to see if it's just me... :(

I never got swelling that bad but I know in the beginning I could definitely tell I was swollen after approx a day of wearing/removing/inserting. Each cycle got better and better and was able to wear it longer and longer, now I can wear for 96+ hours and I only started about 6-9 months ago and was 100% a pad user prior. Now I am a cup convert.

It happened to me as well, though not such a large swelling. The redness/itchiness, yes. I think it's just your vagina getting used to being poked and prodded all the time.

The period when you use the cup is shortened by about a day, so don't be surprised if it's a shorter period than you thought, because on pads the blood takes almost 20 hours to trickle down the canal. Not sure about why it would be late, though.